Town and city centres across the region are to be targeted by police and local authorities in a crack-down on binge drinking.

All of the major drinking centres in the North East are to be focused on with police in Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Gateshead, Northumberland and Durham taking part in the Government campaign.

More than 180 areas across England and Wales are taking part in the campaign which runs until January 3 - double the number in the summer scheme which led to more than 5,600 arrests.

Police have tougher powers to deal with drunken yobs than in the first phase.

They can now impose on-the-spot fines for buying or selling alcohol to under-18s, and the penalty for drunk and disorderly behaviour has been increased from £50 to £80.

Licensing minister Richard Caborn said: "The message is stark and simple - if you brawl in the street, urinate in a doorway or are sick in the kerb, you could be slapped with a £80 fine. We're not messing around - we want decent, law-abiding people to be able to get home safely from their Christmas and New Year's parties."

Home Office minister Hazel Blears said: "We know that the concerted blitz to tackle alcohol-fuelled violence and sales to under-18s over the summer worked. The levels of serious violence decreased in the 92 policing areas that took part and many in the alcohol industry were prompted to act more responsibly, abandoning `all you can drink' type promotions and reviewing their policies on not serving alcohol to under-18s.

"But we are not complacent, we know there are still widespread and serious problems."

She added: "Christmas is a time when people should be able to have a few drinks and enjoy themselves, but that should not be an excuse for violent and anti-social behaviour by a minority, spoiling enjoyment for everyone else."

In the summer campaign, police visited more than 30,500 premises of which 4% were found to have committed an offence.

Of 1,864 sting operations on targeted establishments, 45% of on licence premises and 31% of off licences were found to be selling to under-18s.